(Conclusion, continued from Monday)
Malolos City—Another contender for the mayoralty here in the 2019 elections is incumbent Councilor Len Pineda, brother of former councilor Lut Pineda, whose family’s chain of retail and business establishments are a factor for their opponents’ reckoning.
Len, whose rift and irreconcilable difference with incumbent Vice Mayor Gilbert “Bebong” Gatchalian, is public knowledge, is outspoken and determined to pursue his ambition.
Efforts for Pineda to become the running mate of opposition stalwart Laurens Jan “Didis” Domingo have all been rejected, as Len has stood his ground and promised to give his foes a run for their money.
Not to be left at the starting line is Board Member Therese “Ayee” Ople, sister of three-term Councilor Jong and a relative of the late great Bulakenyo statesman “Ka Blas” Ople. She is definitely eyeing the mayor’s seat, a fact bolstered by the resignation of Jong last week from all the committees he chairs in the City Council.
The move, Manila Standard learned, is to preempt a plan of the Sanggunian’s majority bloc to reorganize its committees and oust Jong from all his chairmanships.
“Jong beat them to the punch. This is a real fight,” the Standard source said, requesting he not be named.
Ayee is reputedly the bet of Bulacan Gov. Willy Sy-Alvarado, who can seriously dent and scuttle the bailiwick of City Mayor Christian Natividad, who is seen as a threat to the political careers of the governor, his wife Marivic, and his son, 1st District Rep. Jose Antonio “Jonathan” Sy-Alvarado.
Ayee has also asserted to mediamen here that it’s “degrading” to slide down and accept a second fiddle’s role. She boasts of being undefeated for two consecutive terms as city councilor and three terms as board member of the 1st District since 2010.
Veteran political observers here see a drastic re-sculpturing of Malolos’ political ladscape if and when Al Tengco, a former vice mayor, decides to make a comeback and runs for mayor.
In such a scenario, sources said two mayoral contenders would easily consider running as Tengco’s partner to ensure unlimited logistics, which no doubt will overflow from his ancestral house in Barangay Sto. Niño, where nephew Miguel Alberto “Migs” Bautista and seven of his kagawads recently swept the barangay elections.
The four-way battle for mayor leaves the vice-mayoralty easy picking for three-term Councilor Peter “Toots” Bautista, who might run unopposed if mayoralty bets do not give way to, or align with, each other.
Bautista’s early campaign has been heard in almost every street of the city, leaving voters to ask: “Wala na bang iba?” (Isn’t there anyone else?)
Political pundits in Malolos believe another Bautista might yet contend for vice mayor, a strategic position whose legislative and law-making chores are suited for lawyers.
Incumbent Councilor Niño Bautista is a neophyte at the City Council but has proven himself to be a performer. He has surpassed the output of all his colleagues in the number of sponsored and approved ordinances and resolutions.
Bautista versus Bautista for vice mayor of Malolos? Both are lawyers, both are young, and will lead to a tossup on election day next year.